Some folks have heard of Butterfield Trail; many have not. But this 2007 splendid Tom Fazio design is starting to gain notoriety, and it seems I’m certainly not the only one impressed. In the new list of top 50 municipal courses by Golfweek Magazine, Butterfield Trail just made its debut at No. 3 behind U.S. Open courses Bethpage Black in New York and Chambers Bay (2015) in Tacoma, Wash.

Butterfield trail is owned by the El Paso International Airport. It was built to attract golfers to the city with idea that El Paso could grow a golf destination around it. You can check out my review on Butterfield here, and the photo gallery we posted shows some pretty impressive shots of this big golf course with no homes on it.

I spent my formative years in El Paso and understand that it’s in the middle of nowhere. But honestly, a golf weekend at Butterfield Trail might pleasantly surprise you. Plus, if you like Mexican food and margaritas, El Paso has some of the best in the country and certainly in Texas.

The Accidental Golfer (AKA Mike Bailey) has spent more than 15 years writing about the game that has brought him unbridled joy and temporary bouts of insanity. Now a senior writer at WorldGolf.com, Bailey is a former senior editor for PGA Magazine, senior writer for Golfweek's SuperNEWS and Turfnet magazines and past president of the Texas Golf Writers Association. He has covered every facet of golf, including the PGA and LPGA Tours, equipment and course architecture, as well as the bane of his golfing existence: instruction. The last has led to at least 30 different golf swings, which all feel different but appear to his playing companions to be the same. Mike is on Twitter at
@AccidentlGolfer.